Excelling In One Area Is Not Enough

Is chasing career success making you neglect the family?

Are you losing growth opportunities because of spending too much time with friends?

Is the present moment passing by too fast because of the addictions?

Life is not easy when you laser focus on a single job, and sadly, this is what most people are doing because we were encouraged to do so since high-school: doctor, lawyer, programmer, directors, politician, or football player.

Yes, these are the high-paying jobs that we'll be talking about first, and next will be lower paid ones. I want to emphasize on the most important common lack: their freedom.

So, I already did some research for you, but I'm sure you have at least an acquaintance, if not friend, who works in the above jobs.

The majority of them have so much money that isn't a problem. But they also lack time for themselves and family, resorting to employ someone to take care of their kids and/or partner.

It may sound good observing just the financial part. Think you have a wife and kids just on paper, legally, not physically, plus the 'free time' meaning sleep. Not to mention the stress, health, nutrition, fitness and some peace of mind moments. Is it fun anymore?

PS: I was talking about very successful people doing those jobs, not average or below.

Now, what about police officers, workers, plumbers, cleaners, or other common and in demand roles?

Most struggle financially, some may do ok. Because their incoming is limited, so their life experience is, because the activities they can afford are amongst the cheapest.

Unlike the first group, these people usually have time, because they are not working over-times. And still, they have two common paths to pick from:

• They get a second job so earn more money - free time going like for the first group, but without the big money
• The free time is spent on TV, phone, drinking, smoking, video games, compulsive eating - everything to compensate the financial shortage

Looking at either path, it can be easily agreed that their freedom is completely missing, as it did for the first group.

People who link money and time with freedom will never reach it. Freedom is spiritual and each of us already has it.

You may say that if you had both money and time, you'd feel free. Frankly, that is just a mentalization of yours. Your mind is responsible for thinking that way, but the good news is it can be changed any time. Sure, the ego will bring up the biggest devils and will make things even more complicated, but they are necessary.

I hear you, I've been there, craving that moment of having enough money and time to come, and when it came, I felt empty. I didn't know what to do with my life and this drove me crazy as it seemed like I didn't know how to live.

That was also the moment when I realised I was on the wrong path and decided to start learning about life's meanings and its variety of experiences it has to offer, leaving me with a message: move on to the next chapter, now!

Feeling free should be our default state, unconditioned by anything material.

Now, coming down to what I want to highlight: you don't need to be the absolute beast at one thing, but rather great at many things.

The word "extreme" always comes with an "extreme" cost, but oftentimes the cost is not seen thanks to the mind seeing the good in the bad, and the bad in the good.

Look at these examples:

• Being Elon Musk has a cost of extreme brain solicitation and lack of free time
• A monk reaches the inner peace in the end, but without the benefits of some of the life's pleasures and gifts
• LeBron James or Cristiano Ronaldo are extremely disciplined, but forced to quit or pass a lot of opportunities that would break their intense and exact schedules

I have moments when I'd love to be like Elon Musk, but when I look at his schedule examples and the way he lives, I change my mind. There are also moments when I'd like to live among monks, at a peaceful temple, in a peaceful environment, but then I realise the emerging live happening outside the walls. And of course, sometimes I also want to have that discipline of the success that LeBron and Ronaldo have, but I realize the restrictions that come attached.

My solution to these "come and go" moments sits in learning beneficial bites of every person I respect and see as a mentor, but adjusted to my way of living. I don't want to be someone else, I just want to develop my own personality, we are unique.

So.. Do we need to be better at more?

Shortly, yes. Why would you limit your understanding of the world which is immensely and rapidly evolving by focusing on just one thing?

We are using labels which I see as a self-growth terminator. It's like you don't need to be great at other things (which could be your passions by the way) because your job title has nothing to do with them.

And this is what school taught us, get better at one thing and that's it. This is not the case anymore, because the world is changing so fast that many jobs that people spent years or decades mastering become deprecated.

If you're looking at yourself and realize you have no other passions except for scrolling on social media, watching TV or playing video games, perfect, we have what to work with further.

Procrastination pulls you up from the abyss

I bet you've heard plenty of times that procrastination is bad and destroys your life. While this is mainly true, this applies as long you see it that way.

It's the same with social media, "oh, it's horrifying". It's that way because you want to see it that way. What if you're mindful and conscious and use it for education, selling, marketing, personal branding, networking and discovering new ideas? The hell goes away.

Let's start by defining this term in a rational way: procrastination represents an activity done while another activity was supposed to be done.

Now, split this definition into 2 good parts:

• This tells you don't like enough the should do activity - why do you do that?
• Also tells how much you like the doing activity

Pay attention to the nature of the activity you are doing when procrastinating such as:

• Watching cars, cooking, fitness, business content on social media
• Listening to science, relationships or astrology podcasts
• Playing the latest games
• Watching stand-up comedy or do-it-yourself shows

Profoundly analyze what's the core of each activity, and start practising it yourself! Switch from looking at someone doing it to do it yourself. This is how procrastination is turned into productivity.

Procrastination is fired by your mind and acts like drugs. You know it's bad, but can't stop doing it.

"A guy: I'm only watching hot, half-naked girls content, I cannot turn this well". You can, just deeply explore every piece of why are you watching that:

• Is it just a cheap dopamine win? Ask yourself what's missing in your life
• If you're not single, what are the areas where your relationship can massively improve?
• Are you looking that hot to match those women? Maybe it's time to smash the gym better
• Would you like to be a photographer for those models?

That's just one subject of procrastination, and the beauty in having even more is the possibility of alternating constructive activities to do when we are bored or simply in our spare time.

My foundation is Software Engineer, but because I don't label myself anymore, look at my other accumulated activities I can pick from:

• Gym training
• Write these letters
• Journaling
• Meditation
• Breathing exercises
• Biking
• Working on my businesses: Just Overload and Balance Battle
• Reading or watching subjects about psychology, philosophy, health, fitness, spirituality, business, cooking
• Cooking meals I love but are not in my weekly plan
• Sit in silence, staring at the sky, observing my every thought

This is why I end up being fulfilled every day, no matter what happens, because whatever I do in that day, I know it's because I chose to do it.

Labels are an anti-expanding way of living, fading your mind down from seeking the new.

Letter's Quest

Before doing anything, become present and be gentle with yourself, bringing judgements and critics is harming your process to evolve. Set the intention of understanding what are the activities filling the time without bringing value to your growth.

I recommend writing them down to let the mind see them, shrinking its ability to shift the focus whenever it wants, especially in uncomfortable cases like this.

Go through each of them and deeply analyze it the way I did above, and observe the constructive actions you can take away and bring in your routines.

Freedom doesn't come with financial success. It relies on every activity giving the feeling of being free.

Until the next letter, I wish you success in everything you're up to!